Cleaning of glass surfaces which are difficult to access or have other limitations, such as aquarium interior surfaces, require specialized cleaning devices. In the aquarium art, for example, it is desirable to be able to clean the interior of the glass or clear plastic walls without draining the tank or reaching into the water. The currently available devices for cleaning the interior surface of the aquarium wall use two oppositely charged magnets carried in specially adapted housings.
The first magnet is positioned on the outside of the glass with the second magnet on the inside of the glass in the tank. The second magnet has a covering of a rough or abrasive substance as a cleaning surface to scrape off algae and other materials adhered to the glass. The outer magnet case has a smooth resilient surface to avoid scratching or marring the external surface of the glass. The magnets are positioned adjacent one another on the internal and external surfaces of the glass. The internal magnet is attracted to the external magnet. The external magnet is moved by hand over the glass with the internal magnet following the motion. This induced motion of the internal magnet moves the cleaning surface across the inner surface of the glass to clean the glass. An example of this type of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,104 entitled DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CLEANING AQUARIUM WINDOWS issued on Feb. 19, 2002 to Bakker.
The cleaning action of the devices described is inefficient and usually requires multiple passes over any significant algae growth to remove the deposits. In some cases the devices are ineffective in removing the deposits.
It is therefore desirable to have a remotely powered surface cleaning device capable of more vigorous cleaning action. It is further desirable to have a cleaning device with a reduced profile cleaning component for access to areas in which other objects are in close proximity to the glass-thereby limiting accessibility. It is also desirable to have a flexible inner component to conform to convex or concave glass surfaces.